10 tips to make a home Dementia-friendly

Here are our top 10 dementia-friendly ideas to help you do just that:

Dementia is a progressive, degenerative disease that affects the brain and changes how it works. It can vary in severity from person to person, and Dementia itself has no cure.
However, Dementia doesn’t just affect sufferers; family and friends will also be directly or indirectly affected by Dementia – especially if they live with people who have Dementia.
Making your home dementia-friendly can have many benefits for those living with Dementia.

1. Create a dementia-friendly bedroom

Your loved one’s bedroom should be adapted to reflect their needs and interests and allow them independence within familiar surroundings. Maintain strong connections with people with Dementia by having their favourite possessions nearby.

2. Keep the house tidy and fuss-free

Tidiness is vital for people with Dementia, but so is feeling they can find things themselves – don’t hide everything away so that dementia patients cannot access it!

Encourage them to clean up after themselves, and you could even introduce a dementia-friendly cleaning schedule to help them become familiar with it.

3. Make sure dementia patients feel safe

People with Dementia often have trouble distinguishing between night and day. So ensure all lights are easy to access and turn on/off as required. Furthermore, dementia patients may need reassurance about their safety, whether locking windows or keeping the back door locked.

4. Use visual reminders

Choosing dementia-friendly décor items can help people with Dementia to orient themselves while maintaining security and safety. For example, keep the layout of your house relatively simple (so they don’t get lost) and arrange furniture in ways that dementia patients can easily remember.

5. Keep your dementia-friendly home healthy

Cleaning the house should be a dementia patient’s responsibility, but you may need to stay involved with specific tasks – such as using chemical sprays or other dangerous substances. Ensure that only safe cleaning products are used in your dementia-friendly household and that strict safety measures are followed.

6. Go digital

Technology can be a great way to make dementia patients feel at home. For example, dementia apps for tablets or smartphones can help people with Dementia remember things they’ve forgotten and quell anxiety and agitation.

7. Make your house as dementia-proof as possible

Although it may not be possible to keep dementia patients entirely safe from harm, you can make dangerous situations less likely by dementia-proofing the home. For example, you could include putting locks on cupboards or removing slippery rugs from areas dementia patients are likely to access.

8. Make liberal use of calendars, clocks and timers

People with Dementia will often have trouble with their sense of time – which means they could get confused about the day of the week, whether it’s morning or evening and what date or time it could be. Schedules can be dementia-friendly by visual cues, such as clocks and calendar pictures – even dementia timers for specific tasks like cooking.

9. Allow dementia patients to keep their favourite things nearby

Remaining in control is vital for people with Dementia, so allow them to keep their favourite possessions nearby. This could include pictures of their family and close friends or things that remind them of cherished memories.

10. Involve dementia patients in household chores

Dementia patients can become anxious if they feel unoccupied – especially when left alone for extended periods each day while their family members go to work. Try involving dementia patients in household chores such as cooking or cleaning, which can help their minds stay active and engaged while reducing agitation.

Hygea are here to help

We hope that the tips above help you to care for a loved one suffering from Dementia; we are happy to discuss providing care for you or a loved one suffering from Dementia. Just call our team at 0115 648 6630 or visit our Dementia care services page for more information.